Letter to the editor
To the editor:
The Monday night Hightstown Borough Council meeting at which the Vincentsen Report presented the option for expansion of the current municipal building by increasing it’s size 78 percent from 6,190 square feet to 11,040 square feet for only $1.8 million, or $371 per square foot for the additional 4,850 feet, didn’t exactly fit the wallet of this taxpayer.
The proposal appeared to be each department heads "wish list or dream" as presented to the architect without any council input, mitigation or advisement. For example, why would we need a new courtroom bigger than current council chambers when a room of similar size could be used for both activities? This plan also called for more than doubling the size of both the administration and the finance, purchasing, utilities, taxes, and payroll departments. Is Hightstown really growing to that extent? The Police Department would gain 1,000 square feet. Why not? About half of our tax revenue in now spent on safety and police. They must definitely deserve the space.
The other options of buying the GPU building and renovating it are too outrageous to even comment on at this point.
Come on council get on the ball and out of my wallet!
Larry Galcher
Hightstown

